Challenges of Raising a Disabled Child Essay Example for Free

Challenges of Raising a Disabled Child EssayCaring for a churl with a deterioration can be challenging due to parenting responsibilities and the difficulties they encounter when interacting with an often unreceptive environment. Consequently, parents can be at increased risk for excessive levels of personal distress which in scrap can adversely uphold the well being of the child and the entire family unit ( implant Sanders, 2007). Parents of children with disabilities can be at an increased risk for psychosocial distress (Parish, Rose, Grinstein-Weiss, Richman Andrews, 2008 Plant Sanders, 2007).The parenting responsibilities for parents of children with disabilities often require a significant amount of time to complete, can be naturally demanding, can disrupt family and social relationships, and can adversely coin caregiver employment (Brannen Heflinger, 2006 Seller Heller, 1997). Perhaps as a consequence of these additional impacts, family caregivers of children wit h disabilities can be at increased risk to experience depression, visible wellness problems, and decreased quality of life (Feldman, et al. , 2007 Ones, Yilmaz, Cetinkaya, Calgar, 2002).The added challenges of caring for a child with a disability may lead to much stress and greater physical and emotional health risks for parents and their families (e. g. , increased conflict with spouse Murphy, Christian, Caplin Young, 2006) compared to families without a child with a disability (Feldman et al. , 2007). This topic is particularly personal for me because I hunch forward first hand the psychological affects and challenges that a handicap child could accept on parents, family members, and friends. My son was two months when I notice that something save wasnt right on with him.I noticed him favoring one side instead of looking straight ahead. I mentioned my concerns to our family doctor. His doctor didnt see it as a problem. She said to alone continue to watch him. Two months p assed and still no change, so at his next appointment I expressed my concern again. I insisted that she run tests on my son immediately. I knew something seemed different I besides couldnt put my finger on it. I had already had two other boys so something just didnt sit right with me. The doctor sent my son to be tested at University of Maryland Hospital and my son was diagnosed with Hydrocephalus Dandywalker Malformation with Palsy.He had to have surgery at six months to have a shunt placement to drain the water from his brain. I was devastated. My husband and I went through several(prenominal) defense mechanisms. The first I believe was denial. We didnt want to cause the fact that something was injure with our child, our baby. He seemed so perfect when he was born just a few months ago. We went through repression, rationalization and intellectualization. We couldnt wrap our minds around the fact that our child would be different from other children. Nobody wants to believe that something is wrong with their child.I felt a comminuted embarrassed for fear of what people might think close our child or what someone would say. So umpteen things raced around my mind. We wanted to blame the doctors maybe they did something wrong in my prenatal care. I went over in my mind again and again of every little thing I did when pregnant to ensure that I had did everything I was supposed to do. I didnt drink, smoke or do drugs. What happened? We tried to search our family business relationship genetics. We just came up empty. My husband and I became depressed, frustrated, and angry. I felt servicingless about my sons contain.I wasnt sure what to do. Finally, I began to ask my sons condition. I read all I could get my hands on. I searched for schools and other medical resources to help me address my sons needs. In the back of my mind I was still trying to make sense of the fact that my son had a developmental and neurological problem that would affect him for the r est of his life. I wondered what restrictions we would face now and in the future. I still wasnt sure if I could cope with his lack of development neurologically, physically, mentally or emotionally. I began to question God. I wondered why me.I wasnt sure if I would have to stop working. I wondered how we as a family would work in concert to stay a family. I had so many questions, but no answers. I prayed asking God for help and guidance. Later, I began to realize that I had to be strong. I had to accept what the reality was with my son and his disability. It hasnt been easy. We faced many financial problems, medical issues, several hospitalizations for my son, divorce daycare issues especially since my son inevitable twenty four hour daycare. Day care is very expensive as well as diapers and wipes for handicapped children.Insurance covers some things but not enough. A person has to be making next to nothing in order to get any facilitateance from the government we needed financi al aid disregardless of what we made monetary. I would have never known what change families went through to get their voice heard and childrens needs assisted unless I had to face these great challenges myself. So much goes into raising a child with disabilities. There are many variables that factor into taking care of a disabled child. pecuniary hardships are another important factor that influences parents wellbeing.In general families with children with disabilities experience much higher expenditures than other families (Newacheck and Kim, 2005) found that, on average, the total annual health care expenditures for children with disabilities were more than three times as much compared to children without disabilities. The financial strain incurred by families of children with disabilities is likely due to increased expenses related to the childs needs as well as loss of employment or inability to work because of parenting responsibilities (Murphy et al. , 2006 Parish et al. 2 008 Worcester et al. , 2008). Inability to engage in employment can in addition lead to feelings of isolation, a lack of fulfillment and low self-esteem (Shearn Todd, 2000). Families of children with disabilities often report feeling isolated from the community (Freedman Boyer, 2000 Worcester et al. , 2008). What Ive learned from exploreing the challenges of raising a child with disabilities as well as being a parent of a disabled child is that there is still so much more to be done. There is still research that hasnt been touched regarding parents and their disable children.We the parents have to be the voices for our disable children. We have to be give out informed about what our disabled children rights are. We have to be willing and ready to fight on behalf of our disable children. Parents and state officials have to work to get better laws passed to accommodate disabled children. Disabled children need better health care programs, better schools a place for them to be them selves. Parents need a place to relax and not have to worry about dirty looks that people who dont have disabled children give them. Parents shouldnt have to feel ashamed that they have disabled children.We shouldnt be looked down upon because our children are different. Our children shouldnt be bullied or treated like they are worthless. Our children are special. They deserve the best that we can help them to achieve in life. They deserve a chance like the rest of us. Weve got to come together and help each other to provide a better life for all The questions we should ask researchers to study are many. One could be whats being done to assist parents with disabled children? Are there programs to assist parents in child care for disabled children?Normal daycare centers are for infants through 12 years of age. As of today my disabled son is 16 years old and theres really no day care for children his age. Another question is why do they go according to parents income in order to assis t with social security disability? A parent shouldnt have to be jobless in order to obtain assistance from social security disability. Yet a person who walks into social security disability and say my back hurt or that they have a condition can obtain money work the system while the truly disabled suffer.There are so many people working the disability system and really arent disabled. We have to help the programs we have for our disabled children actually help the disabled children. In conclusion caring for a child with a disability can be challenging, but many of these challenges are likely due to a lack of necessary environmental supports. Future research should expand on these findings and policy makers, scientists and providers should give particular attention to the environmental support needs of parents in order to create policies and interventions that are more family centered.